Where Should the Address Plaque Be Placed on a Home?

Near Front Door

• An ideal location for an address plaque is near your front door. “Generally you want your plaque to hang anywhere between 4.5 ft. and 5.5 ft. high if your intent is to have it at eye level,” writes Misti St. Pierre, owner of Metropolis Iron Inc. Hang or install the address plaque near the door frame or on an exterior wall near the door. If you have a covered front porch or stoop, you can suspend the plaque from the overhang as long as it's high enough that visitors don't have to duck to walk beneath it.

Yard

• If your house sets back off the main street and you want your address plaque to be visible to drivers and passengers, attach or hang your address plaque on a metal or wooden post. Install the post in your yard near the street. Opt for a removable post that can easily be unstaked from the ground if you don't want it to be a permanent yard fixture. Otherwise, cement the post in the ground so it doesn't tip when the ground is loose or wet. You can also plant flowers or bushes around the post to add visual interest and increase your curb appeal.

Mailbox

• Attach your address plaque to your mailbox if the plaque is small or your mailbox is oversized. You will likely need to drill into your wooden, metal or plastic mailbox to securely fasten the address numbers with bolts or screws. Most mailboxes are highly visible so that mail and package delivery services can quickly find your house. Adhesive numbers, available in reflective materials, are an alternative to address plaques. But adhesive numbers tend to peel over time and don't have the aesthetic characteristics and durability of metal or wooden address plaques. To ensure visibility for emergency responders, house numbers on mailboxes should be at least 3 inches tall and clearly visible from all possible approaches on the street.

House Facade

• When you want a creative option for your address plaque, consider hanging it on the facade of your house, away from the front door. You might hang it under a highly visible window, over a garage that doesn't have a low soffit, beside the garage door or along the front corner of your house. Most importantly, you want the plaque to complement the front of your house, so it should align with other architectural features and harmonize with the exterior. "A plaque that is off-center can make the entire house look awkward and unappealing,” suggests St. Pierre.